Summoning the Sunset
by gohstwriter
Summary: Now that Pratty is finally able to accept his offer, Sakuro has something to share with her. Fluff ensues! PrattyxSakuro, mildly suggestive themes.


gohstwriter's notes: Hello! Welcome to my first fanfic. This is definitely a fluffy vanilla narration, which I believe fits the Sakuro/Pratty pairing, and I hope you will enjoy reading it. All constructive criticism will be received with an open mind! Thanks to Banpresto and Atlus for bringing the fantastic characters from Summon Night: Swordcraft Story to the US. Now, on with the fic!

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"As long as you are sure, then whenever you are ready, Pratty."

She nodded confidently. After five long years as a Craftlord, of course she was sure. "Just give me a moment."

Pratty sat on a crate at Wystern harbor and stared vacantly at the sky for a few minutes. It was hard to think about the friends that she would be leaving behind. Sanary, Razzy, and Varil, all now her fellow Craftlords, had joined in many adventures and heroics to protect Wystern, defeat the Deigleyans, and send her guardian beast Sugar off happily to her home in the world of the summons. She couldn't possibly have asked for better friends during her experience as a Craftlord.

Yet while their travels had strengthened Pratty's relationships with her companions, by now her dear friends had more important people in their lives. They had found happiness in Wystern, and fortunately this had allowed them to understand why Pratty felt it was to leave. It wasn't exactly a happy goodbye, but at least her friends had sent her off with cheerful grins and best wishes.

"…Okay, let's go!"

Sakuro looked slightly startled as Pratty reached out and grabbed his hand, but his face quickly eased into its usual confident smile. Although he never took his gaze off her, his blushing cheeks betrayed his slight embarrassment.

"Okay, let's go," he echoed. "My ship is over here…"

Sakuro led her into the cabin of his boat, and shortly after departing from the Wystern port, there was nothing but the sight of the ocean stretching endlessly in front of them. _Best not to watch Wystern fade into the distance._

"Sakuro, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. Don't worry, I think you'll like it." He closed his eyes and smiled happily. "I want to make sure our first stop is special."

Pratty stood next to him while he steered the boat skillfully. She had always loved to watch him handling ships, as he seemed to be so content. _He must really love traveling. Why didn't he just pursue his dream when he left the first time?_

Per usual, Sakuro picked up quickly on her unease. "What are you thinking about, Pratty? Are you feeling okay?"

"Oh! Uh, of course. I was just wondering, after I turned you down so many years ago, why you came back for me? I know you said you understood my decision, but after five years I would have thought you wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't love you anymore?" Sakuro brush his hand through his hair casually. "This will probably sound weird, but waiting all this time was nothing compared to how I felt when I first wanted to ask you out. I was so nervous that you'd never see me as anything more than a mentor that I almost didn't go through with it. I guess after I found out that I wasn't just wishing for some impossible thing, the rest has been relatively easy." He broke into a grin, his eyes-closed happily, and Pratty couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, okay. I guess I understand that."

"But now you have to answer my question. Why did you choose to leave all that you had in Wystern just to be with me? Which, by the way, thank you for doing so."

"Oh yeah, no problem." Pratty smiled as she recalled all the things she had considered in making her decision. "I had many supporters when I was trying to become a Craftlord, but you gave me advice and listened to my problems as if I were someone special. I understand why it was so hard for Bron and my peers, since they had so many other things to worry about. They were just being professional, and that's the way things should have been. And as a Craftlord, Sakuro, you of all people should absolutely not have given me extra help… yet for some reason, you still did." Pratty stared at her toes, embarrassed. "To tell you the truth, ummm…" She kept her gaze down to hide her blushing cheeks and shuffled her feet awkwardly, trying to decide how to say this. "Um, Sakuro, I had a crush on you for a while and I was worried that you were only joking when you kept flirting with me."

He laughed sweetly at her confession, and Pratty couldn't help but giggle at how confusing the situation had been. Gently placing his arm around her shoulder to pull her closer, he spoke softly. "I promise you, Pratty, I'm not joking anymore. Look, we're coming up on our destination."

Pratty looked out through the window to see the creamy sand of a beach speckled with seashells. It was backed by a grassy dune and shear cliffs, leaving the viewer no distraction from the sight of the sparkling sea. She looked down curiously at a delicate bracelet that was tied around her wrist, suddenly recalling a conversation from many years ago. "Sakuro. Is this the beach where…?"

"The beach where I collected the shells in that bracelet I gave to you? Yes, it is. It's the very same island your father and I visited together many years ago." He glanced over at her briefly. "Hey, Pratty. There is a basket with a folded blanket placed on top of it downstairs… would you mind fetching that while I bring the boat in?"

"Sure!" Pratty was feeling a little giggly. She was very anxious to see this place that Sakuro wanted to share with her.

When Pratty emerged from the cabin, basket in hand, Sakuro was waiting for her on the beach. "Come on, what are you waiting for?" He lifted her gently off of the boat and set her down on the sand. After giving her a few moments to look around he spoke. "Sooo… What do you think?" He was positively beaming.

"This is beautiful, Sakuro. It's not like any place I've ever been."

"I'm so glad you…" Pratty's stomach interrupted with a loud growl, and Sakuro crossed his arms and looked down at her. "…I see. I guess we had better set up the picnic then."

Pratty covered her stomach protectively with her hands. "Yes, a picnic! Hehe, that sounds nice." Sakuro cooked! _Oh my god, this is going to be really good._

The two cooperated in stretching the blanket out on the soft sand, and then Sakuro insisted on taking over. "Please have a seat, Pratty. Allow me to set out the food!"

He proceeded to take out rice balls, a noodle dish that smelled spicy, an odd fizzy beverage, and finally, something that smelled strangely familiar.

"Oh… is that your favorite curry dish? Sakuro, I could have cooked that if I had known…"

"Don't worry about it! Today is my special day for you, remember? You're not supposed to do any work. So… let's eat! I'm pretty starved myself, although my stomach isn't as rude as yours."

"Hey! What's that mean!" Sakuro just laughed and then ravenously dug into the redfish with curry. "…Sakuro! Leave some for me!"

It didn't take long for them to plow through the food. Pratty leaned back comfortably and stretched her arms up in the air. "You are an amazing cook, Sakuro! The curry is so much better when you make the dish… I feel embarrassed now that you had to eat my horrendous cooking." She flopped onto her stomach and propped her head up with her arms, looking up at him with an impish grin.

Sakuro raised an eyebrow, apparently puzzled. "Seriously? I thought the curry you prepared was the best I had ever tasted."

"No way, stop teasing me."

"No, I'm serious. I think it's because you put in the special ingredient… you know, lots of love!" Pratty burst into laughter. "You think I'm joking? I'm being totally serious!"

"Alright, whatever. Let's just clean up this mess."

After hastily stuffing the now empty plates and bowls back into the basket, Sakuro sat down next to Pratty. Exhausted from the meal, she leaned comfortably against his firm shoulder. His blue coat looked very sturdy, but without the cape and shoulder protectors it was surprisingly luxurious and soft. _A big softy when it lets its guard down, just like the Craftlord who wears it._

Pratty watched as Sakuro rummaged around in his coat for his pocket watch. "Hm. Just a few more minutes."

"What?"

"Just watch."

What on earth was going on? Pratty placed her hand on his far shoulder, and Sakuro wrapped his arm comfortably around her waist. "Please don't be anxious, Pratty – just relax. I think you'll find this to be quite amazing."

They watched together as the sky began to turn a faint shade of pink as the sun gradually lowered towards the sea. The puffy white clouds were almost comical against their unnatural looking backdrop. Sakuro glanced at his watch once again. "Okay, any moment now."

Suddenly, the sun hit the edge of the horizon and burst into a vivid orange. Pratty let out a startled gasp as the surface of the water began to sparkle like a carpet of diamonds underneath the sky swirled with shades of citrus and rose. The lazy clouds faded into a soft lavender and continued to darken while the glorious sun changed from orange to a bold glowing crimson as it continued to lower in the sky. It finally dipped below the surface of its watery bed, and the light evaporated as if a fantastic candle had just been put out. Even after the spectacular scene was over, Pratty was left with her mouth slightly agape in wonderment. This was truly the most breathtaking sunset she had ever seen.

According to Sakuro's plan, she had been too distracted to notice that he had taken something out of his coat. "Pratty, look." Sakuro offered her his hands in front of her, and she peered through the darkness to see what he was holding. His ungloved fingers were gently cupping a cream-colored blossom that glowed faintly in the cool air. Pratty reached out and gingerly touched the delicate flower, leaving a faint trace of shimmering powder on her hands. "A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl," he murmured.

Pratty could tell he was looking down at her; she could feel his hair brushing softly against her face. "Pratty…" Sakuro placed his hand under her chin, supporting it as gently as he had the flower. Despite his hands being those of a Craftlord, they were surprisingly soft and warm, more so than the touch of his gloved hand had been. The flower was cast aside on the blanket beneath them, glowing lonely in the darkness.

"Pratty." He lifted her chin and held her face in his deep eyes. She could see the outline of his delicate face in the faint light of the forgotten blossom, and stared breathlessly into his firm gaze as he placed his hands at her sides. _Is he going to…_

"Pratty…" Sakuro whispered her name quietly as he leaned forwards to catch her lips in a compassionate kiss. Pratty could hardly comprehend what as happening. Perhaps things were different now that she wasn't so young anymore, and Sakuro could be less reserved. Still, his careful yet romantic tenderness made her feel just as innocent and inexperienced as she had been those five years long ago. She wrapped her arms tentatively around him, and when the kiss ended they held each other for a few moments.

Sakuro slowly let go of her, then stood up and began to walk towards the dunes. "Would you like to get ready for bed now, Pratty? I'd like to sleep under the stars if that's alright with you… I'm going to go change over there."

Pratty stammered as she got up from the blanket, her knees still weak from the kiss. "Oh. Um, okay." She walked in the opposite direction for a few minutes, then removed her red dress and leather gear. "I guess this is appropriate…" she mumbled to herself as she rummaged in her bag for a clean black forger's suit like the one she always wore underneath her outfit.

When she returned to the campsite, Pratty found Sakuro dressed similarly. He had removed his sapphire coat and was clothed in a black suit that, while deceptively loose in the sleeves, was rather formfitting everywhere else_. His figure is undeniably attractive…_ Pratty could tell from the sudden warmth in her checks that she was blushing and looked away abashedly.

"It's certainly been a long day, Pratty. Are you ready to get some rest?"

"Yes, I think I am." She laid down facing the outside of their makeshift bed, and Sakuro covered her with a lightweight yet warm blanket that Sakuro had retrieved from the boat. He then crawled in next to her and they lay there back to back for a few quiet moments.

"What now, Sakuro? What will we do next?"

"I'm not sure yet. But we have all the time in the world to explore whatever we want." After some hesitation, Sakuro rolled over on his side to face her. He wrapped his arms around her waist gingerly and pulled her close. Pratty could feel his heart beating softly against her back. "Now that we are together," he whispered, "we have all the time in the world. Let's just take things slowly."

Pratty smiled to herself. She had never felt this kind of contentment before. It was quiet and warm, yet somehow jittery and excited at the same time. How could she describe how she felt, nestled tenderly in Sakuro's arms?

"Are you alright, Pratty? What are you thinking about?"

She was silent for a moment. "Sakuro… I love you."

Even if she couldn't see his face, she could feel that he was smiling. "I love you too, my dear Pratty. Thank you for coming with me."

"Of course." She placed her hands gently over the ones wrapped around her waist as she snuggled comfortably against his chest. Could this be the feeling of hope, the anticipation of new things to come? "See you in the morning."


End file.
